Section-insulator.



No. 640,959. Patented Ian. 9, I900. J. S. SGHUMAKER & L. M. GLODELL. SECTION INSULATOR.

(Application filed June 14, 1899.)

, (No Model.)

WITNE 551:5 INVENTCJ EwnE; 6". 25M.

THE "cums FETERS ca, rumour-10,, wAsl-cmumu. 04 c.

w th STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. SCHUMAKER AND LEROY M. GLODELL, OF HARTFORD, CON- NECTIOUT.

SECTION-*INSULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 640,959, dated January 9, 1900. Application filed June 14 ,1899. Serial No. 720,562. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN S. SCHUMAKER and LEROY M. GLODELL,CitiZe11S of the United States of America, and residents of the city and county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Section-Insulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to section-insulators or cut-outs of that class especially adapted for use in connection with overhead conductors of electric railway or trolley systems wherein the separate sections of the conductor are relatively insulated and supplied by feeders.

The principal object of this invention is to providea simple, durable, and efficient section-insulator embodying a plurality of under-runs insulated from one another and separated from each other by air-spaces and to so construct and organize the parts of said section-insulator that the same may be readily applied and secured in place between the adjacent ends of the conductors of two adjacent sections and whereby the stress of said conductors will tend to center the under-runs with respect to the central line of the conductors and also increase the effective resistance to strain of the strain-bearing parts of said section-insulator.

A further object of this invention is to furnish a section-insulator for electric conductors comprehending a box-like casing, two strain-bearing end members embodying means whereby the ends of the conductors may be secured thereto and having at their part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section-insulator embodying the present invention, only a portion of the ends of two adjacent section conductors or wires being shown. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the section-insulator, taken ona line corresponding with the dotted lines 2 2 in Fig. 1 and showing the parts below said line; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the section-insulator, taken on the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 1 and showing the parts at the left of said line.

Similar characters indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In' the preferred construction and organization thereof (illustrated in the accompanying drawings) the section-insulator as a whole comprises a casing or body portion 13, having a substantially central longitudinal opening 4 extending from end to end. thereof, the side walls of which are parallel, two stressbearing end members or castings O and 0, respectively, having coacting wedges W and W at their inner ends, respectively, and also embodying means whereby the ends 5 and 5 of the conductors D and D may be secured to the end members C and O, and two underruns E and E, secured to the casing or body portion atopposite sides, respectively, of the center thereof and separated from eachother and from the inner ends of the end members by air-spaces 6, 7, and 7, respectively, the wedges of the end member being insulated with respect to each other and with respect to the casing and the two under-runs being also insulated from each other and with respect to said casing, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the casing or body portion B of the'section-insulator is shown having a substantially square central longitudinal opening, the side walls 8 and 8 of said casing having their inner faces substantially parallel with each other and with the outer faces of said side walls, and in Fig. 2 the casing is shown set with its longitudinal axis oblique to and intersecting a line, i

as the dotted line 9 9, drawn longitudinally through the center of the end members 0 and O, and it is desired to here state that the intor, as shown most clearly vention is not limited to the particular form of casing illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, as certain modifications may be made therein without departure from this invention.

The casin g, which is shown of cross-sectionally angular oblong construction, has formed substantially midway of its length and projecting outward from opposite side faces thereof two eyes or loops 10 and 10, respectively, and also has a central strengtheningbead 12 and two end strengthening-beads 13 and 14, respectively. This casing also has extending upward from the central portion of its upper wall a boss 15, which in practice will be internally screw-threaded (said screwthread not being shown) to receive an insulator whereby the section-insulator may be suspended.

The points 16 and 16 of the end members 0 and C will in practice be preferably constructed of brass, and for the purpose of decrease in the cost of manufacture will preferably be formed integral with the wedge portions of said end members by casting or welding, and the wedge portions of said members will preferably be formed of cast-iron.

In the organization thereof shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the adjacent faces of the wedges "W and W are parallel to the central line 9 9 of the end members and are covered with insulating material,-as shown at 17 and 17', and the outer faces of said wedges are disposed obliquely to said central line 9 9, so that when stress is exerted in opposing directions on the outer ends of the end members by the conductors D and D the outer faces of the wedges will tightly engage the inner walls of the casing, thus preventing further outward movement of said end members longitudinally of said casing, the inner adjacent walls of said wedges preventing transverse movement and insuring the centering of said wedges transversely of the casing.

As a convenient means for securing the ends of the conductors in place on the end members 0 and C said members have their opposing side faces grooved at 18 from the points backward and upward to receive and form seats for the conductor ends and are also provided with clips or prongs 19 and 19', respectively, which in practice will be cast integral with the end members and will be bent over and around the ends of the conducin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The middle under-runs E and E are preferably cast integral with box-like casings 20 and 20, respectively, each of which is of a cross-' sectional shape corresponding to that of the casing or body portion B, and constructed to fit around the bottom and side walls of said casing, and each under-run casing having an outwardly-projecting flange 21 at the upper side edge thereof, which is perforated to re ceive a screw-bolt, and having at the opposite upper side edge thereof an opening to receive a prong 22 on a strap 23, which secures the under-run casing in place, said strap having one end perforated to correspond to the perforation in the under-run casing and being secured in place by a screw-bolt 24, extending therethrough and through the flange at the upper end of the under-run casing, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The ends of the conductors will in practice he sweat in place after being secured to the end members 0 and C by the clips 19 and 19.

For the purpose of reducing weight and expense the wedges W and W of the end members will be cored out, and in the form thereof shown in Fig. 3 they are of H shape, each comprising the inner and outer side walls 25 and 25, connected together at its middle portions by a horizontal web 26. It will be obvious, however, that the form of the wedge may be modified within the purview of this invention.

We claim 4 1. A section-insulator comprising a casing having an opening extending therethrough from end to end thereof; and two oppositely disposed end members embodying coacting wedges supported in said casing and also embodying means whereby the ends of the sec tion-conductors may be secured thereto.

2. The combination, in a section-insulator, of a box-likecasing; two oppositely-disposed Wedges supported for limited movement in said casing and having end portions embody ing means for attaching the ends of the sec tion-conductors thereto; a plurality of underruns disposed between the'inner lower ends of the end members and separated from each other and from said end members by air= spaces; and insulation interposed between the under-runs and their supports, and between the wedges and the casing, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a section-insulator of two strain-bearing members having wedges at their inner ends the straight faces of which are in cooperative relation and are separated by insulating material; a casing surrounding and supporting said wedges and having inclined side walls cooperative with the side faces of said wedges, whereby to limit the movement of one wedge relatively to the other; a plurality of under-runs, disposed one at each side the center of the casing and insulated therefrom, the lower portions of said under-runs being in horizontal alinementwith the lower portion of the strain-bearing members and being separated from each other, and from said members by air-spaces.

4. A section-insulator embodying a casing having a longitudinal opening therethrough, and two oppositely-disposed wedges, supported in said casing and insulated therefrom, and having end members formed integral with the outer ends thereof; means in connection with the end members for holding the ends of the IIO disposed cooperative wedges s upported in said casing and having at the outer ends thereof, conductor-supporting end members; a prong integral with each end member and adapted to be bent over to engage the end of the conductor; and one or more under-runs supported between the inner ends of the end members and separated therefrom by air-spaces, and being insulated with respect to the casing and end members.

Signed by us at Hartford, Connecticut, this 7th day of June, A. D. 1899. i

JOHN s. SOHUMAKER. LEROY M. GLODELL.

Witnesses:

E. O. WHITNEY, HARRY H. OLCOTT. 

